Jews in America

“Matthew Schwartz’s new book Jews in America is quite disarming. Presented in an informal and eminently readable ‘question and answer’ style, Dr. Schwartz takes on the profound question of the arrival of Jews in America and chronicles how they have done over the last five centuries (from 1492 through 1980). Professor Schwartz’s vignettes demonstrate concretely how America has differed from Europe in her treatment of Jews, and how this difference has benefited both America and Jews.”

Kalman J. Kaplan

“Dr. Schwartz has presented us with a remarkable tableau of half a millennium of American Jewish life . . . Although the book is written in a simple and easily readable style, it does not descend into mere trivia of dead Jews’ lives, but introduces us logically to the richness of Jewish America and what it meant to be an American Jew . . . I have been privileged to a long and close association with Dr. Schwartz, and his profound understanding of both the individual and the historical context that has molded the individual’s life choices has often held me enthralled. This book is a wonderful addition to the library of any Jew or American, and should be required for that of a Jewish American.”

Binyamin Sendler

“Matthew Schwartz has rendered a valuable service to anyone who ever wanted to know more about American Jewry's history but had neither the time nor the patience to plow through a series of turgid tomes. His creative format presents hundreds of fascinating historic ‘snapshots,’ each introduced by a pertinent question and followed by an appropriate research citation. If only all history books were as enjoyable and reader-friendly!”

David Luchins